Series defeat for WI after batting flops again
MELBOURNE, Australia, CMC – Another indifferent batting effort saw West Indies Women plunge to an eight-wicket defeat to Australia Women in the final OneDay International, and concede the three-match series 20 here yesterday.
The Caribbean side could only muster 103 in the 32nd over after being sent in at Junction Oval, with Rashada Williams (25) and Hayley Matthews (23) the only specialist batsmen to reach double figures.
Australia Women then coasted to their target in the 16th over with captain Alyssa Healy top-scoring with 32, Ellyse Perry getting an unbeaten 29 and opener Phoebe Litchfield chipping in with 27.
The visitors’ batting performance was a trend throughout the series, bowled out for 83 in the opening ODI which they also lost by eight wickets and then gathering 107 for eight before the second ODI was rained off.
“I think for us we definitely have to find a way for more of our batters to chip in,” said Matthews.
“It’s quite disappointing for a lot of us, especially throughout that ODI series, obviously not being able to get totals on the board. “The batters really need to have a look at themselves and find ways to score but at the same time, we know we’re playing against the best team in the world and we knew coming down here was going to be challenging. “But I think for us there is losing and then there is losing with the performances that we lost with, and I think on reflection we know we can do better and should be doing better.” Eighteen-year-old Zaida James fell in the fourth over, caught at the wicket attempting to offer no stroke to seamer Kim Garth (2-14), adjudged Player-of-the-Match and Player-of-the-Series.
Williams, who faced 71 deliveries and struck three fours and Matthews, who also counted three fours in a 17ball knock, tried to revive the innings in a second wicket stand.
However, Matthews dismissal in the eighth – lbw to Garth – led to a slide which saw West Indies Women lose five wickets for 19 runs, slumping to 47 for six at the end of the 14th over.
Twenty-two year-old pacer Annabel Sutherland was the architect of the collapse, snatching three for 23 to leave West Indies Women on the ropes.
Williams engineered the best stand of the innings when she helped add 22 for the seventh wicket with Shabika Gajnabi (7) but the partnership only delayed the inevitable, the last four wickets eventually going down for 34 runs.
In reply, Healy struck half-dozen fours in a 27-ball knock as she posted 57 for the first wicket with Litchfield, who counted four fours in her 29-ball stay at the crease.
When both perished in successive overs to leave the hosts on 63 for two in the tenth over, Perry arrived to lash three fours and a six off 21 balls as she inspired a 43-run, unbroken third wicket stand with Beth Mooney (11 not out) to pull her side over the line.